Here is Thomas getting ready for a two-hour infusion of IVIG, a medicine which will help stimulate/boost his immune system — or white blood cells (WBCs). Getting IVIG is very tricky for leukemia patients because leukemia is a blood cancer, when the body makes and essentially spits-out mass quantities of immature WBCs. (AKA: ‘WBCs Gone Wild’).  Sounds harmless enough right?  Within in hours, a child’s body can be overcome with immature WBC’s that the body can’t filter fast enough, clogging all major organs, leading to organ failure and death.

It is a perpetual balancing act — too much or too little of anything can be extremely harmful (except for chocolate!). When a parent hears that their child has been diagnosed with leukemia or their child has relapsed, almost instinctively, parents want their child pumped with the strongest chemo’s known to man. Just get rid of it — whatever it takes.  More, or stronger/harsher treatments can be just as deadly as not treating a child at all.

But if your Thomas, getting IVIG isn’t an option — it’s just another day-in-the-life of a teenage boy.